Taharah Manuals

A Taharah Manual is a guidebook filled with steps and prayers for those providing taharah, the ritual washing and dressing of the deceased.

Manuals are also extensions of the Chevra Kadisha, the Sacred Community of those who provide care and comfort during end-of-life transitions. The language and choice of liturgy reflect each Chevra’s values and culture.

Below is a selection of different manuals from across the United States and Canada that have been shared with Kavod v’Nichum. No two manuals are identical because no two Chevra Kadisha are exactly alike. We offer a range of manuals to reflect the range of tradition that exists within Chevra Kadisha in North America.

An important companion piece is the Community Hevra Kadisha of Greater Boston’s “Towards a Gender Inclusive Hevra Kadisha,” which includes resources and learning around expanding language and policies to be inclusive of all members of our communities. 

We also recommend:

• “Chesed Shel Emet,” written by Rabbi Stuart Kelman, Co-Founder of the Gamliel Institute, and Dan Fendel, serves as a manual and offers a comprehensive exploration of the liturgy.
  • View the Taharah liturgy from the book for Women and Men
• “To Midwife a Soul,” written by Richard Light, is a full-color manual that offers various liturgies and chanting options from Rabbi Shefa Gold.

We hope these are helpful resources. If you’d like to see your Chevra’s Taharah manual included here, please feel free to email us hello@kavodvnichum.org